All the Devils' hottest news, from notes to numbers to neutral-zone traps

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Unlike most of his players, Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello remembers what it was like to play in a meaningful hockey games on an outdoor rink.

So, there’s going to be a feeling of nostalgia for Lamoriello when the Devils face the Rangers in an outdoor game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 26 of next season (12:30 p.m. start). That will be the first of two games to be played at Yankee Stadium. The Islanders will face the Rangers on Wednesday, Jan. 29 (7:30 p.m. start).

The plans for the two games were officially announced by the NHL today after word first got out back on April 16.

“I just think it’s going to be a tremendous experience for everybody concerned – the fans, the players – with the whole environment of Yankee Stadium,” Lamoriello said. “It’s a special place.”

There is added significance for Lamoriello because he has strong connection with the Yankees. He was close friends with former Yankees’ owner George Steinbrenner and he’s been a member of the board of Yankee Global Enterprises since 2004.

“There’s a lot of connections one way or the other,” he said.

The idea of his organization being involved in an outdoor game anywhere has Lamoriello excited, though. It will be one of six outdoor games the NHL will hold next season.

The Devils will be the home team for the game against the Rangers.

“Because of timing and everything, that’s just the way it worked out,” Lamoriello said.

Lamoriello said it is “a positive” for the organization as a whole to be involved in a marquee event such as this and does not believe that having six outdoor games in the same season detracts from it.

“This is an outdoor event. This is an experience,” he said. “This like when you play pond hockey, which is how the roots started. The wind, the cold, all of that stuff, the players are going to enjoy. They’re not really old enough to enjoy that this is the way it really started, but they’re going to experience something special.

“That’s how I learned how to play – on the pond, outside. I think it’s just going to be a lot of nostalgia because of that.”

During his playing days at Providence College (1960-1963), Lamoriello played games on the University of New Hampshire’s outdoor rink. It wasn’t until 1964 that the university enclosed its ice rink.

“The University of New Hampshire did not have an outdoor rink,” he said. “They had an indoor rink and you had to worry about the ice. They had a Zamboni, but it was outdoor and there was no glass or chicken wire, just the boards.”

At the time, playing outdoors did not feel unusual to Lamoriello at all because it was quite common.

“In those days, we actually had outdoor rinks,” he said. “If you think of Boston, the MDC (Metropolitan District Commission) rinks were all outdoors. Then, they enclosed them. They had piping, but they were outdoors. It was the greatest way to get in shape because of the breathing, the (cold) air and everything.”

When I asked Lamoriello if he might lace up his skates and take a spin on the rink at Yankee Stadium to experience that again, he initially said no, but later said, “Who knows? Maybe then, I will.”

Some of you have asked about whether the team will wear vintage jersey for the game.

“None of that has even been discussed yet,” Lamoriello said.

As mentioned in the previous post, the NHL said in the news release officially announcing the games at Yankee Stadium that further detailss, “including national broadcast information and specifics on ticket opportunities for the season-ticket holders of each team, will be released shortly”. Fans interested in receiving more information on ticketing, news and special offers around the event should register at http://www.NHL.com/2014NewYork

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Lamoriello said defenseman Bryce Salvador’s bruised left wrist/thumb, which caused him to miss the final game games of the regular season is now “100 percent.”

“He’s back to normal,” Lamoriello said. “I saw him yesterday and he’s perfect.”

Right wing Matt D’Agostini, who missed the last three games with a sprained left wrist he sustained his practice, had an MRI on the wrist and “he’s OK”, according to Lamoriello.

Lamoriello said defenseman Mark Fayne is also “OK” after missing the last four games of the season with a bulging disc in this back.

Lamoriello said no players needed after-season surgery this year.

“Everybody’s fine health-wise,” he said.

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Lamoriello said he is “still finishing” his end-of-season interviews and evaluating process.

Lamoriello said “everything is open” as far as bringing back unsigned players “no decisions have been made on anything.”

Some of asked about defenseman Marek Zidlicky, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent, playing in the world championships for the Czech Republic. On break-up day, Zidlicky told me he might play in the world championships, so it’s not a surprise.

Zidlicky has not re-signed or agreed to terms already with the Devils, yet.

“We’d certainly like to have him back,” Lamoriello said.

Lamoriello said he is using the time available to fully evaluate all decisions.

“We’re in May,” he said. “You have time to reflect and not let emotions get in the way and having patience with the interviews and speaking with everybody.”

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Lamoriello on selecting ninth overall in the first round with this year’s NHL Entry Draft at Prudential Center (June 30): “I’m not going to feel good at all about having it.”

Lamoriello said it’s still a positive that the draft will be in Newark, though.

“It’s going to be nice for the fans and also for a lot of different people who haven’t seen this arena, which is a very positive thing,” he said.

About

TOM GULITTI has covered the New Jersey Devils for The Record since 2002. Prior to that, he covered the New York Rangers for four years. Gulitti joined The Record in 1998 after six years at The North Jersey Herald News. He graduated from Binghamton University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric-Literature.